MEF Stands by ‘100,000 Could Lose Jobs’ Statement

theSUN ON FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 21, 2020 MEF stands by ‘100,000 could lose jobs’ statement was prepared to manage the coronavirus oIts executive director says figure situation. Its chairman, Alice Lau Kiong Yieng, also was ‘a very conservative estimate’ urged employers to take initiative to provide employees with accurate information about Covid-19 and not to create panic. █ BY AMAR SHAH MOHSEN “And looking at the current situation, this On Wednesday, Deputy Human Resources [email protected] coronavirus issue could persist even longer Minister Datuk Mahfuz Omar said the figure than SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory was just a rough estimation, and that the PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Employers Syndrome), which lasted about eight months. ministry was still studying the effects of the Federation (MEF) stands by its statement that “So, to say that 100,000 Malaysians could coronavirus. about 100,000 people could be laid off this lose their jobs until the end of the year is not an In a statement yesterday, the ministry said year, and said the figure could be even bigger exaggeration, but is actually a very the 100,000 figure was made on a speculative depending on other factors. conservative estimate. basis and did not consider the government’s Its executive director, Datuk Shamsuddin “I stand by what I said,” he told theSun. initiatives to protect and enhance the Bardan, said yesterday the number he Shamsuddin was responding to remarks by workforce. provided was “a very conservative estimate” several quarters refuting MEF’s estimation of Shamsuddin, however, pointed out that the based on the national retrenchment average 100,000 lay-offs in 2020 should the Covid-19 impact to the job market does not only depend and the current market outlook. outbreak prolong until the end of the year. on the measures taken by the country, but also He said MEF’s data showed that about He had told theSun on Monday that the other external factors beyond the 7,000 employees were retrenched in January number of those retrenched this year could be government’s control. this year alone, at a time when the impact of well over double the 40,000 Malaysians who “I would say Malaysia is doing well to the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) has yet to be were laid off last year, noting that many cushion the impact of the virus, but what as widespread in the country. businesses were already seeing significant about the rest of the world. Many international “That 7,000 were just those who were reduction in their revenues. airlines, for example, have relooked at their retrenched due to other factors. The National Occupational Safety and flights, because people are too afraid to travel. “If you look at the Covid-19 Health had earlier said there was no credible “These are external factors that are beyond impact on businesses today, report or research to indicate that MEF’s our control, and that is the biggest issue we it is very severe. estimate was accurate, and that the country need to look at.” .

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